Convertible seat and couch unit



Oct. 31, 1961 s. ZIMMERSPITZ 3,

CONVERTIBLE SEAT- AND COUCH UNIT Filed July 17, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Inventor SAMUEL Z/MMERSPITZ Oct. 31, 1961 s. ZIMMERSPITZ CONVERTIBLE SEAT AND couca UNIT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 17, 1958 Inventor SAMUEL ZIMMERSP/TZ United States The invention relates to domestic furniture and in particular to a seating unit such as an upholstered chair, sofa and the like which is convertible to provide a couch or bed for resting or sleeping in a reclining position. The object of the invention is to provide such a convertible chair, sofa or the like which its occupant may convert into a couch or bed or vice versa with the minimum of difficulty, which is simply and strongly constructed, efficient in use, attractive in appearance and, which is at the same time, economical to manufacture.

Convertible furniture of this general class has been known for many years and at the present time is marketed in a variety of different forms, having both commercial and domesticapplications. However, it is with upholstered domestic furniture that the invention is more particularly concerned.

In this type of furniture it is desirable that the conversion from one capacity to the other should be assimple and as foolproof as possible and require no special instructions. In particular it is desirable that the article of furniture being so converted should not require to be moved in the process of conversion. Accordingly, the invention seeks to provide an article of furniture having a seat portion or bench and a back portion or leaf, which is adapted to be used either in a sitting or reclining position and which is capable of being converted from one position to the other by a single uni-directional movement of the bench and leaf. It is a more specific object of the invention to provide such an article of furniture in which the aforesaid movement necessary for conversion from one position to the other takes place only in the area forwardly of the article.

It is further desirable, in the special case of a single chair, that it is capable of conversion to provide an adequate couch for a single person and it is accordingly a still further object of the invention to provide such chair with a bench and a leaf having the above-mentioned advantages and having a third element associated therewith so constructed, disposed and extendible as to provide a single adult couch when the parts are in the reclining position and to be otherwise completely concealed from said space co-planar with said bench and an upright for wardly facing position away from said space in which it forms a back rest for the said bench, and an action interconnecting the parts and co-ordinating the alternate movements of the parts into and out of the space as aforesaid.

A preferred form of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the following "atent Q drawings in which like reference devices refer to like parts of the invention throughout the several views and diagrams and wherein:

eration and the sequence of the movements thereof.

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a convertible chair in its the details of seat position with part cut away showing its interior.

ice

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of a convertible chair in its couch position with part cut away as before.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a convertible chair in its couch position with part cut away as before and further details shown in phantom.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a convertible sofa being a further adaptation of the present invention. The sofa is here shown in its couch position and the position of its parts in the seat position is shown in phantom.

The general principle of the invention as embodied in this preferred form, illustrated and described here by way of example only, is shown in the three schematic views of FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, being side elevations of a convertible seat and couch unit with FIG. 1 showing it in its seat position, and FIGS. 2 and 3 showing intermediate positions through which it passes during conversion into a couch (shown in more detail in FIG. 5).

The convertible unit may be a chair providing seating and reclining accommodation for one person only, or a sofa providing a plurality of seats, and reclining accommodation for two persons. In the case of a chair the reclining or couch position will be from the back to the front of the chair and an extension may be added if necessary. In the case of a sofa however the reclining or couch position may be from side to side (as shown in FIG. 7).

In FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 one side of the frame 10 of the convertible unit is shown in phantom, the chief interest lying in the respective movements of the bench 12 and the leaf 1'4 alternately into and out of the space 16 defined by the frame 10. Both bench 12 and leaf 14 are mounted for movement into and out of the space 16 and there is provided an action (omitted from these views for clarity) co-ordinating their movements so that when one part is moved out of the space 16 the other is moved into it. Thus when bench 12 is occupying the space 16 leaf 14 is disposed to one side of and away from the space 16 in an upright forwardly facing position and co-operates with the bench 12 as a back rest therefore to form a seat. When the bench 12 is moved externally of the space 16 the leaf 14 is caused (by the action to be described later) to move into the space 16 in a prone downwardly facing position in which it engages and is supported by the bench 12 in co-planar relation and cooperates with the bench 12 to form a COUCh.

Turning now to FIG. 4, this is a detailed side elevation of a convertible chair C providing seating and reclining accommodation for one person only and shows said chair C in its seat position. It consists of the frame 10 defining the space 16, occupied by the bench 12 in this position. The leaf 14 is disposed to one side of and away from the space 16 in an upright forwardly facing position and forms a backrest for the bench 12. Bench 12 is linearly movable externally of the space 16 (in the direction of the arrow), and is supported for the purpose, in this example, by gliders or casters 18. Leaf 14 is hingedly mounted for swinging or rotational movement .into and out of the space 16 on bracket 20 co-rotatably fastened to hinge pin 22 rotatably mounted in vthe frame 10; these parts cooperating with a mechanism or action to be described. Carried between the lower edge of leaf 14 and the back portion of the frame 10 is flap 24 in this example consist ing merely of a piece of fabric. As will be seen in FIG. 5, it forms an extension of the leaf 14 when the latter is swung into its prone downwardly facing position within the space 16, providing support, for example, for a pillow or the like; beingnno-btrusively folded and concealed more or less behind the'leaf 14 in the seat position of the parts. 7

Bench 12 and leaf 14 are formed with mating surfaces 26 and 28 on their rear and upper edges respectively which overlap and engage one another when the parts are moved into the couch position with the bench 12 externally of the space 16 and the leaf 14 in its prone downwardly facing position within the space 16. By means of this overlapping engagement the bench 12 partially supports the leaf 14 and aligns it in coplanar.

relationship whm the parts are in the couch position. The leaf 14 is upholstered on both its'front and its rear surface for comfort in both seat and coach positions respectively and in addition the rear surface is made longer than the front surface in order to provide extended support when in its prone couch forming position; such additional length being unnecessary in the seat position of the parts. Projecting rearwardly and to one side of bench 12 is the projecting trunnion 3t) sliding in the slot 32 formed in the frame 10. The slot 32 has a blind end 34 which stops the trunnion 30 from sliding too far forward, and thereby prevents the forward movement of the bench 12 externally of the space 16, beyond a point at which the bench 12 is overlapped by and partially supports the leaf 14 in the manner above described, when in its couch position.

It will be understood that the foregoing description is of one side of the present device and that although it refers to only one hinge means for the leaf and only one stop means for the bench these means may be duplicated in practice according to exigency and expediency on the other side.

Coordinating the respective movements of the bench 12 and the leaf 14 alternately into and out of the space 16 is the action A which in this example is located in a hollow side of the frame 10. Although the following description is confined only to one action A it will be understood that two such actions may be employed on the respective sides of a convertible unit as herein contemplated in the appropriate circumstances.

The action A includes crank arm 36 co rotatably fastened on hinge pin 22 for swinging together with bracket 20 carrying the leaf 14. Co-operatively connecting the bench 12 with the crank arm 36 are the levers 38 and 40 articulated together by respective ends thereof somewhat in the manner of a lazy tongs, and with their free ends respectively pivotally connected to the free end of crank arm 36 and to the projecting trunnion 30, carried by the bench 12. Guide means controlling the movements of the levers 38 and 40 are provided in this example by a rod 42 telescoping within lever 40 (which is tubular for this purpose) and swingably mounted on the upper part of the frame causing the lever 38 to swing with it.

Briefly reviewing the operation of the convertible chair it will be seen that when in its seat position it can be converted into its couch position by merely pushing the leaf 14 forwardly and downwardly. This will cause the hinge pin 22 to rotate and the crank arm 36 to swing forwardly and thereby causing levers 38 and 40 to spread and drive trunnion 30 from the rear of slot 32 to the front thereof, carrying with it the bench 12. The trunnion 30 is stopped by the blind end 34 of the slot 32 and bench 12 and is thus prevented from moving past the point at which it is overlapped by and supports the leaf 14 which by this time has arrived substantially in its prone downwardly facing position within the space 16. A slightpush downwardly on the leaf 14 may then be necessary to force the mating surfaces 26 and 28 to the bench 12 and the leaf 14 into engagement and dispose the leaf 14 in its co-rplanar relationship to the bench 12. By the same op eration the flap 24 will be extended between the leaf 14 and the rear of the frame 10 to form an extension of the other parts.

The same effect may be produced by pulling the bench 12 forwardly out of its position within the space 16, the parts transmitting the movement in the reverse direction.

To convert the unit back into a chair all that is necessary is to lift the leaf 14 and swing it upright whereby the bench 12 will be drawn back by the same mechanism into its seat position.

The foregoing description is of a preferred embodiment of my invention and is intended to be by way of illustration only. I do not limit myself to the specific construction of any features shown other than as specified in the appended claims which are intended to include all modifications which do not depart from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

l. A convertible seat and couch unit comprising a stationary frame defining a space, a bench linearly movable into and out of said space, a leaf adapted to swing into and out of said space, at least one hinge pin rotatably carried by said frame; at least one bracket oo-rotatably connecting said leaf to said hinge pin and rendering said leaf swingable as aforesaid between a prone position within said space and an upright position out of and to one side of said space and cooperating linkage connecting said hinge pin to said bench co-ordinating the movements of the parts and providing for the movement of one of them into the space when the other is moved out of said space; said leaf forming a back rest for the said bench when the latter is within said space and forming an abutting and coaplanar extension thereof when the said bench is out of said space.

2. A convertible unit as set forth in claim 1 wherein said linkage co-ordin-ating the movements of the said parts includes at least one crank arm co-rotatably fastened to said hinge pin and at least one pair of articulated levers, the free end of one of the said levers being pivotally connected to the said crank arm and the free end of the other said lever being connected for cooperation with the said bench, and guide means for the said levers.

3. A convertible seat and couch unit comprising a stationary hollow-sided frame defining a space, a bench linearly movable between a seat position within said space and a couch position externally thereof, a leaf hingedly mounted on said frame for swinging into and Out of said space, at least one hinge pin rotatably mounted in a hollow side of said frame, at least one bracket co-rotatably fastened to said hinge pin by one of its ends and to the side leaf along a side thereof and rendering it radially swingable as aforesaid about said hinge pin between a prone downwardly facing position within said space and an upright forwardly facing position away from and to one side of said space, at least one crank arm co-rotatably fastened to said hinge pin, at least one slot in a hollow side of the said frame communicating with said space and having a blind end, at least one projecting trunnion carried by the said bench sliding in the said slot and stopped by the said blind end thereof, and, located and contained within at least one hollow side of said frame, at least one action comprising a pair of articulated levers, respectively connected by their free ends to said crank arm, and to the said trunnion, and retractably expandable means guiding the movement of the said levers.

4. A convertible seat and couch unit comprising a hollow frame defining a space, a bench movable between a seat position within said space and a couch position externally thereof, a leaf hingedly mounted on said frame for co-operation with said bench as a back rest therefor in its seat position, and an action connected to and communicating between said bench and leaf and contained within and concealed by said hollow frame coordinating the movement of said bench and leaf influencing said leaf to lie prone within said space in partially supported downwardly facing co-planar relation to said bench when the latter is in its couch position; said hollow frame having at least one slot extending along one edge thereof to one side of said'space and said bench carrying at least one projecting trunnion connected to said action and projecting through and sliding in said slot; said slot having a blind end stopping said trunnion preventing movement of said bench externally of said space beyond a point at which said bench is overlapped by and supports 5 6 said leaf when it is in its prone downwardly facing posi- 941,879 Ieficott NOV. 30, 1909 tion aforesaid, 1,800,579 Westphal Apr. 14, 1931 2,584,145 Martin Feb. 5, 1952 References Ciied in the file of this patent 2,743 4 3 Cudini May 1, 195 5 Polatsek Sept. 2, 831,707 Clement Sept. 25, 1906 FOREIGN PATENTS 898,981 Luppino Sept. 15, 1908 842,245 Germany June 26, 1952 

